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Instagram Pier closes to the public The popular Instagram Pier in Kennedy Town, also known as the Western District Public Cargo Working Area, has been closed to the public. While access to the pier was never legal, the government tolerated its use and the pier was even promoted on the Hong Kong Tourism Board website. Residents and visitors were shocked to find its gates locked and guarded last month. Those who attempted to access the location were informed they needed a staff card to prove they worked there. The Hong Kong Government has since stated Covid concerns as its reason for closing the pier, but many residents believe rising tension between visitors and cargo workers was the cause.
LEGOLAND comes to town LEGOLAND Discovery Centre officially opened its doors last month at K11 Musea. At a whopping 30,000 square feet, the indoor playground features 10 impressive themed areas designed to entertain and educate the whole family. The centre includes creative workshops, a 4D cinema, two indoor rides and awe-inspiring display of Hong Kong’s
most famous buildings and landmarks made from 1.5 million LEGO pieces. The display was created by 46 LEGO builders over 7,150 hours and includes scaled-down versions of the Star Ferry Central Pier, Peak Tram, Tai O, Temple Street and more. The cityscape also transforms from day to night every four minutes. legolanddiscoverycentre.com
Sai Kung student releases debut album Sai Kung resident and Hong Kong Academy graduate Dylan Halbroth released his debut album Against The Dying Light on Spotify last month, in support of Mind Hong Kong. Having struggled with a variety of mental illnesses, including depression and anxiety, Halbroth is eager to use this project to raise awareness of mental health issues in creatives. Each song in the EP is representative of an emotion/disorder and 25% of streaming income will be donated to charity. Halbroth is currently in his final year at Berlin University of the Arts. He is also part of Hong Kong alternative rock band Asyndeton. Alongside his album, Halbroth plans to release a mini-documentary in which he interviews up and coming Berlin-based creatives about their art and mental health. “With this, I aim to provide a raw perspective on the different ways mental illness affects all of us,” he said. @darkatthree
8 | EXPAT PARENT
Pets grounded by pandemic With travel restrictions and a mandatory twoweek quarantine for pilots and cabin crew, the future of Hong Kong air travel is uncertain. Last month, Cathay Pacific announced a temporary suspension on pets travelling as check-in baggage or cargo on flights out of Hong Kong, until April 30. Pet owners planning to relocate in the coming months have already found it difficult to book their pets onto a flight, now with even less options, there is a worry many will be left abandoned. “We have temporarily stopped pet shipments. The service may resume again in May, but there will be an update in mid-April,” said a spokesperson from Cathay Pacific.
UA Cinema closes its doors One of Hong Kong’s main theatre chains, UA Cinemas shut its doors for good last month citing unavoidable and devastating pressure from the pandemic as the reason for its sudden closure. The theatre chain was originally founded by businessman Ira Kaye in 1985, with its first location in Sha Tin’s New Town Plaza. The chain had only six locations left in the city including Citygate Outlets, Maritime Square, Times Square, Megabox and Amoy Plaza in Kowloon Bay.
